Three Fourth of July Shooters

You have to love the freedom of a holiday like the Fourth of July when it falls on the weekend. You don't have to worry about going to work the next day or working two days, off for one then returning to dredge through a couple more days. No, this year the parties will start on Friday with a bang (literally) and have the entire weekend to wind up and slow back down.

I know a lot of people like to take it slow over the Fourth with a leisurely backyard barbecue, maybe some time on the beach, a little camping trip and, of course, gazing at the sky during a fireworks show. I'll get to some drinks for those people tomorrow. Today we're talking about the real party crowd, those who enjoy a shot every now and then. For these people I have three great shooters to show off your patriotism.

First off is the Firecracker (pictured). This golden shooter of tequila, Goldschlager and Rumple Minze has gold flakes floating around like tiny sparks and the bang of a 100-proof, minty liqueur with a southern background. It's powerful, bold and looks good in the glass - exactly what many regular shot drinkers are looking for.

Then I have two very similar shooters for you. Both are layered with the colors of the American flag, contain a fruity mix as they're going down and relatively gentle in comparison to the more explosive shooters. For the Fourth of July you'll be floating grenadine, vodka and blue curacao on each other in that order and with the Red, White and Blue you'll go with grenadine, peach schnapps and blue curacao. Notice the only difference is vodka versus peach schnapps for the "white" layer. The choice is a matter of whether or not you want to go a little peachy and what you have in the liquor cabinet at the time.

As on any day of the year, shots and shooters are fun but please keep in mind that you will get drunk. If you're going to have fun with this think ahead and designate a driver, call a cab or stay where you are. Summer holiday weekends see some of the highest rates of drunk driving and it's better to be safe than sorry.